A Disappointing Sorting
by thekinglystar
Summary: The last thing Regulus wants to do is disappoint anyone but he knows no matter which house he's sorted into someone will be disappointed whether it's Sirius or the rest of the family. Will he be brave like Sirius and choose his own path or follow family tradition and be sorted into Slytherin?


Written for the School of Prompts Challenge:Use your word in a drabble/oneshot of at least 300 words: wild

Written for the Fill the Calendar Challenge: March 25 - free choice: Dialogue: "I would never do that."

Written for The Minor Character Bingo Card Challenge: Regulus Black

A/N: this took a different turn than I planned on halfway through writing it so I'm not quite sure how well I did with the wild part of the prompt but I tried.

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While the two Black brothers were near mirror images of each other in appearance, personality wise they couldn't be more different. Sirius was wild, loud, adventurous, and trouble maker. He loved attention and playing pranks. His younger brother on the other hand didn't share that same desire. After seeing how his parents treated his older brother for being different Regulus had no desire to stand out. He didn't mind blending in with the background, he liked be relatively unnoticeable. He was the quiet one in his family, he rarely got into trouble. When they were younger the differences were not quiet as noticeable since the two were practically joined at the hip but as they got older and Sirius started to disagree with their parents more and more they began to drift apart and the differences started to show. While Sirius wanted to be his own person and do what he believed was the right thing, all Regulus had ever wanted was to make people happy, which was his only concern during his sorting.

Out of all of his classmates Regulus Black was probably dreading the Sorting Ceremony the most. He knew that no matter which house he was sorted into someone would be disappointed in him. He didn't even know which house he wanted to be sorted in. He felt sick whenever he thought about it.

Up until Sirius had left for Hogwarts the year before Regulus had been very attached to his older brother, at times the two were practically joined at the hip. Things changed though once Sirius was sorted into Gryffindor. His parents sent a Howler or two the day after his sorting which Regulus had been present to see be sent off with the family owl. When he came back home for Christmas or the summer holidays he complained even more about their family and their beliefs. There were more fights between Sirius and their parents. Regulus never really questioned their parents, not because he agreed with them but because he didn't want to start a fight. He wasn't really sure if he agreed with them or not. The fact that he didn't put up a fight had slowly started to draw a wedge between the two brothers.

"I can't disappoint my family. I would never do that. I wouldn't know how to," he mumbled talking to himself as he and the other first years were lead into the Great Hall.

The sharp voice of Professor McGonagall brought Regulus out of his thoughts, "Black, Regulus!"

Regulus slowly approached the front of the hall. He was visibly shaking and nearly tripped on his way up the stairs to the stool and Sorting Hat. As he sat down he noticed the wild, untamed curls of his older brother. He looked into his brother's eyes to find them full of hope. Sirius smiled up at him reassuringly giving him two thumbs up.

The Sorting Hat was then lowered onto his head covering his eyes. "Hmmm... you're a tricky one to place." Regulus jumped when he heard the voice of the hat. "You have a strong will like you're brother but you believe strongly in tradition. You're ambitious and want to prove yourself. You seek the approval of your family. Bravery does seem to be an important value to you. You would do well alongside your brother in Gryffindor," the hat continued, at which Regulus gulped thinking of how his parents treat his brother because of that.

"Just put me in Slytherin," he begged the hat.

"Are you sure? You may live to regret that decision," the hat asked to which Regulus nodded in response. "Better be SLYTHERIN then!"

The Sorting Hat was then removed from his head. As he walked over to the Slytherin table Regulus saw Sirius frowning and shaking his head clearly upset and disappointed in him. Regulus sat at the table and fake a smile already regretting his decision as he stared across the hall longingly at his brother and his group of friends.


End file.
